Practice Makes…Better

It’s been almost a year since I got my piano. (You can read that story here.) And I must say, my childhood piano teacher would be so proud of how diligently I’ve been practicing this past year. I’ve also been very pleased with how I’m learning to read music better.

In January, our youngest daughter challenged me to learn to play a pretty song she’d discovered, Handel/Halvorsen’s “Passacaglia.” It’s the hardest song I’ve ever learned and what I’m playing in the video below is a rather simplified version, but I’m getting better.

The piano continues to be such great entertainment, not just for me, but for our kids and grandkids too. It’s the first thing the kids run to when they arrive at our house.

Currently, I’m learning to play Beethoven’s “Minuet in G” from John Thompson’s Third Grade Book, which is where I left off from lessons as a kid. This was challenging too, but again, I’m getting better.

In case anyone is wondering why I only show the keyboard and my hands? Let’s just say that my “concentration face” is not very pretty to look at. I’m working on that, but for now, I’m just happy if my fingers land on the right keys at the right time.

In other news: I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that our oldest grandson graduated from high school last week! (The same week he and his brother qualified for the State track meet!) He is an amazing young man. He was asked to say the Invocation prayer at his graduation ceremony and did a beautiful job. Ken told me, “I was thinking about him graduating and it almost makes me cry.” I said, “It just makes me feel old.” Ken’s reply: “Yeah, that’s why I’m crying!” 

I would be sad that our grandson is growing up and going off to college, except that he plans to attend college close by and live even closer (MUCH closer) to us next fall. More on that later, but we can’t wait!